Crawford Advocates for Increased State Investment in Education from Pre-K to Ph.D.

CHICAGO – State Rep. Mike Crawford, D-Chicago, is calling for increased state investment across Illinois’ entire education system; from early childhood classrooms through colleges and universities, as lawmakers prepare for their upcoming veto session and future state budgets.

Crawford said Illinois must continue increasing its investment in the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula for K-12 schools, particularly as school districts face increasing costs and work to provide students with the teachers, support staff, academic programs, and services they need to succeed.

“Education cannot be something we fund in pieces,” Crawford said. “We need to look at the entire continuum; from Pre-K to Ph.D., special education to student affairs, and make sure Illinois is making the investments necessary for students to succeed at every stage. That means strengthening early childhood education, continuing to increase Evidence-Based Funding for our K-12 schools, and making higher education more affordable and accessible.”

Crawford has made strengthening Illinois’ investment in higher education a priority of his work in the General Assembly. As chief sponsor of the Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act, Crawford will lead House efforts to advance a new funding model designed to provide Illinois’ public universities with more adequate, equitable, and stable state support, reducing reliance on tuition and fees and helping make a college education more affordable for Illinois students and families.

The proposed model represents a significant shift from the state’s traditional approach to university appropriations by establishing adequacy targets and directing new state resources toward closing funding gaps across Illinois’ public university system.

“We cannot have a serious conversation about college affordability without talking about the state’s investment in our public universities,” Crawford said. “When institutions are forced to rely too heavily on tuition and fees, students and families bear more of the cost. Illinois must be a stronger financial partner.”

Crawford emphasized that increased higher education funding should complement, not compete with, Illinois’ commitments to early childhood and K-12 education.

“We shouldn’t be forced into a conversation about whether we fund a four-year-old, a fourth-grader, or a first-generation college student,” Crawford said. “Illinois needs a comprehensive education strategy. Pre-K to Ph.D. means recognizing education as one continuous pipeline and investing accordingly.”

Crawford said he will continue advocating for increased education appropriations, including additional EBF investments and the resources necessary to move Illinois’ public universities toward adequate and equitable funding.

“Education is both an investment in people and an economic development strategy,” Crawford said. “When Illinois invests in education at every level, we are building our workforce, strengthening communities, expanding economic opportunity, and positioning our state to compete for generations to come.”

A longtime higher education administrator and educator, Crawford brings nearly two decades of experience in higher education to his work in the General Assembly. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership.